WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, led a hearing examining the consequences of AI-generated deepfakes. During the hearing, Tennessee multi-platinum country music singer-songwriter, Martina McBride, called on Congress to pass Senator Blackburn’s NO FAKES Act to protect individuals and creators from digital replicas. Read more about this legislation here, and watch full video of the hearing here.

Click here to download this photo of Martina McBride with Senators Blackburn, Coons, and Klobuchar, who co-authored the NO FAKES Act.  

Blackburn: Deepfakes Pose Significant Threat to Livelihoods of All American Artists & Creators 

Senator Blackburn: “Deepfakes cause tremendous harm, and today we're going to examine those harms and the legislative solutions, including the NO FAKES Act that Senators Coons, Klobuchar, Tillis, and I have introduced… specifically to address these harms. First, these deepfakes pose significant harm to our content creators. From Music Row to Beale Street back over to the Smoky Mountains in Upper East Tennessee, Tennesseans have made their mark in the music world, and we've got one of those artists with us today. But the proliferation of these digital replicas created without the artists’ consent pose a real threat to their livelihoods and the livelihoods of all American artists and creators. The NO FAKES Act is a monumental step forward in protecting our creative community. It provides landmark protection of the voice and visual likenesses of all individuals and creators from the spread of these digital replicas that are created without their consent… All these content creators, our children, and all Americans deserve nothing less than our best efforts on this issue.”

McBride Calls on Congress to Pass ‘Landmark’ NO FAKES Act to Provide a Roadmap for AI and Protect Creators’ ‘Most Personal Human Attributes’

Martina McBride: “Today, my voice and likeness, along with so many others, are at risk… The NO FAKES Act would give each of us the ability to say when and how AI deepfakes of our voices and likenesses can be used. If someone doesn’t ask before posting a harmful deepfake, we could have it removed without jumping through unnecessary hoops or going to court. It gives every person the power to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ about how their most personal human attributes are used. It supports AI technology by providing a roadmap for how these powerful tools can be developed in the right way, and it doesn’t stand in the way of protected uses like news, parodies, or criticism… I urge you to pass the bill now.” 

Click here to download video of Senator Blackburn’s opening statement.

Click here to download video of the full hearing.